How do I promote on Absolute Write with aplomb, and What's this deal about "engaging the community"?

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How do I promote on Absolute Write with aplomb, and What's this deal about "engaging the community"?

Unlike many forums that don’t allow any form of self-promotion, the administration of Absolute Write does allow its members to promote their published works, their blogs, and their websites. Of course, there are guidelines for acceptable and effective use of those promotional opportunities, too.

Promotional Activities allowed are:

Linking to websites, blogs, and published books in signatures. Everything you need to know about using signatures can be found here. .

Links to your writing-related services websites are permitted within signatures and profiles only. If you are unsure whether your writing-related service qualifies for linking in your profile and signature, please ask your friendly neighborhood AE&BP mod or forum administration. Everything you need to know about using signatures can be found here. .

Promoting your published writings in the Announcements, Events, and Book Promotion forum. Guidelines for posting in AE&BP may be found here..

Shelving your work in the Absolute Write Library. Guidelines for listing your published work in the Library are here..

What you need to know about the “AWers' Crowdfunded Projects” thread, or Consider the Following as the “AWers' Crowdfunded Projects” Thread Posting Guidelines:

You have a writing-related project, but you lack funding and determine crowdfunding will provide the financial help to get your project off the ground. You’ve performed your due diligence and have selected the most effective and successful platform for funding your project. The “AWer Kick-Starter and Indiegogo Projects” thread (now: the "AWers' Crowdfunded Projects" thread) was established by MacAllister to assist in getting the word out on Absolute Write members’ project needs. People being people, though, a generous gesture like Mac’s will invite abuse.

The "AWers' Crowdfunded Projects” thread, being a thread rather than a forum, allows Absolute Write forum members without the requisite fifty-post minimum to announce their projects. However, Absolute Write is a community of persons; and those who do not engage this community before asking of it, or those who unremittingly use AW promotional opportunities as a self-promotional “bulletin board” will see their project announcements deleted until participation in the community is established.

What Engaging the Community Means and How to Do It

Engagement with the community begins with the assumption that the community is composed of smart, knowledgeable, and interesting people you’d like to know and ends with the hope that they’ll come to feel the same about you. Get to know your fellow AWers as people and let them get to know (and care about) you. Participate in other members’ threads with useful information and insight that helps them rather than looking at it as yet another opportunity to self-promote. Establish yourself as a smart and interesting person others will want to know. People who are drawn to you will be drawn to your project and will, then, be willing to help as they are able, even if it’s simply helping you to get the word out. Word of mouth is a powerful tool; use it wisely.

People can see self-promotion coming a mile away no matter how clever or subtle you might think you are, and you won’t be making the impression you hope to, nor will people forget you’re all about you. They’ll remember you, but not in the way you wish to be remembered. The word will get out on this, too, and that’s not the result you’re hoping for.

Medievalist has an elegant thread on “How to promote your book like an intelligent human being and not an SEO Dweeb” because she’s helpful that way. (Me, I tend to lean toward irked and crabby, especially after the fact.) Read her thread; there’s so much useful information there of the kind seldom seen in one place.

As always, do feel free to ask questions of your AE&BP mod or AW Forums administration on anything you’re not quite sure about or need help with. We’ll do everything possible to help you make your promotional efforts successful.

Spam:

Please don't spam us. We really can tell the difference and we deal with spammers mercilessly.

Make our New Members Forum your first stop and introduce yourself. You may mention your writing experience and your genre in your introduction there, but don’t post your sales spiel there. If your first post is meant to promote your work, you won’t make the impression you hope to. It’s a poor sales strategy to start selling before you introduce yourself; no one likes to do business with someone they don’t know. It’s also bad manners. The community wants to know who you are. Promoting your published work is limited to the Announcements, Events, and Book Promotion room, your profile, and your signature as stated above.

If you haven’t taken the time to introduce yourself and participate in the community, your promotional post(s) will be considered spam and will be deleted. Yes, having your promotional posts deleted as spam is another bad sales strategy, and the bad impression you made here will be remembered.

If you are concerned your post might be considered spam, please ask your friendly AE&BP mod or forum administration. We really are here to help make your forum experience as enjoyable and safe as possible.

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